Power Moons are items in the 3D Super Mario games, mainly Super Mario Odyssey. In Odyssey, Mario must travel though worlds to find them. When Mario receives enough Power Moons, he will be able to power up The Odyssey (Mario's flying ship).

Power Moons are usually more plentiful than Power Stars or Shine Sprites, with 30 to 50 in a single kingdom in Super Mario Odyssey. They also do not redirect the player back to the hub, instead letting the player continue from where they were. Trios of Power Moons are bunched into Multi Moons that appear upon defeating bosses.

Contents

Overview

Appearance

Mario diving to collect a Power Moon. Note its distinctive purple colour.

Power Moons are generally depicted in a way resembling a stylized crescent moon, reflecting both the items name and the moon motif of its debut game, Super Mario Odyssey, in which most levels featured the moon prominently in the sky. The use of a moon is also a likely homage to other Super Mario items like the Super Star and Power Star that were based on stars, another celestial object, as well as the 3-Up Moon which had a very similar design.

Another aspect of the Power Moon's appearance is the two orbs on either end of the crescent, similar to those at the end of the tips on a Grand Star. Power Moons also have eyes, just as most items do in the Super Mario universe, which could indicate that the Power Moons are in some way living or even sentient.

As mentioned above, Power Moons often come in a variety of colours dependent upon the game and the area in which they are found. Their debut game Super Mario Odyssey has a different colour of Power Moon in each kingdom, for instance. The ones in the Cascade Kingdom appear to be yellow, while those in the Sand Kingdom green, those in the Wooded Kingdom blue, those in the Lake Kingdom red, those in the Metro Kingdom bronze, those in the Luncheon Kingdom cyan, and those in the Seaside Kingdom purple. Some later games, such as Super Mario Finale, only depict the green colour of Power Moon.

Game Appearances

Power Moons appear in Super Mario Finale as well hidden collectibles akin to Star Coins from other 2D Super Mario platformers. They usually require Mario to complete a small objective like defeating all of the enemies in a small area or collecting all of the nearby Moon Coins before it appears and can be collected.

A small store called the Moon Shop can be found at every Time Checkpoint. The Moon Shop allows Mario to exchange Power Moons for upgrades, such as more health, an additional amiibo Charge, or aesthetic upgrades like outfits or backgrounds for the menu screen.

Super Mario Finale is also the first game to utilize the Power Moonamiibo. Scanning the amiibo uses up an amiibo Charge and instantly grants Mario the Power Moon Radar Power-Up, which also debuts in the game. While Mario is using the power-up, a radar appears on screen showing him the locations of nearby Power Moons.

Power Moons reappear in Jake's Super Mario Kart in the Moon Mash battle mode. The mode, which is essentially the Shine Runners mode from Mario Kart DS, sees all players needing to gather as many Power Moons as they can within 30 seconds lest they be eliminated from the battle. Like in Super Mario Odyssey, the colour of the Power Moons change depending on the map, with seven different colours being used over the eight maps. These eight colours are purple on Sherbet Fort, yellow on Mario Motors and SNES Battle Course 2, blue on Spike Ruins, red on Derelict Dwelling, brown on 8D Dragon Palace, near-white on Wii Funky Stadium, and pink on 3DS Honeybee Hive.

Power Moons appear as the main collectible in Super Wario Odyssey, with a unique color for every single Kingdom in the game, a total of 13 colors. They act functionally the same as they did in Super Mario Odyssey, and are rewarded for doing tasks, finding them, or purchasing them for 100 coins.

Though much rarer as a collectible than in previous appearances, Power Moons appear in largely the same capacity, being obtained at the end of every chapter of the story to enable Cappy and the Odyssey to progress towards the next area. In-universe lore ties the Power Moons to the core of the Moon, which has been largely broken after the events of the previous game; while some regions have begun to use them as power sources, they also demonstrate an ability to be forged into weaponry.